MULP: Sceptre of the Sun #1 & #2 (Improper Books)

Matt Gibbs and Sara Dunkerton pool their resources as field archaeologist and Illustration graduate to bring us MULP: Sceptre of the Sun. Think Indiana Jones featuring rodents, with all the thrills, spills and excavation notes you would expect of the pulp genre.

Our rating:

MULP (Mouse pulp) is a five-part story set around a group of archaeologists seeking the Sceptre of the Sun, an ancient treasure that can grant the wielder great (and terrible) power. Our group of adventurers are rodents, all brought to life through Sara’s precise and careful artwork, each given careful consideration for their markings and very expressive faces. If you like Indiana Jones or other such adventure/pulp stories, you’re going to love this.

Sara Dunkerton’s artwork is beautiful, and adds another layer of charm to Mulp. We are treated to shots of the professor’s notebooks from their excavations, not just witnessing their adventure but being included as a part of the team. The protagonists’ fur looks so life-like and real, like you could actually feel it through the pages of the book (and they’re all so gosh darn cute!). And the backgrounds and landscapes throughout are rendered with just the right level of detail to create a believable world where the story plays out.

Combine with this Matt Gibbs’ writing and you have a very strong comic book. Each character has their own defined voice – to go with each individual design – which is carried throughout each issue. Gibbs’ careful word craft should be used as an example of how to write dialogue that is natural-sounding and distinct for each character. There’s never a dull moment, even during the excavations, as we are swept away by other cultures in the world, learning along with our protagonists. The action is neat and compact, just enough to keep the pages turning, but not too much that it gets boring or repetitive.

MULP is a truly charming comic book suitable for all-ages, a blend of excavation and page-turning action. We would like to see more from this creative team, and only have to wait for the autumn and New Year for issues 3 and 4.